PIP Eligibility: How the Daily Living and Mobility Tests Really Work
Personal Independence Payment (PIP) helps with the extra costs of long-term ill health or disability. It isn't means-tested, so income and savings don't matter — what matters is how your condition affects your day-to-day life. The application form runs to 40+ pages and the decision is scored against a strict points system most claimants are never shown. This guide explains exactly how the 12 PIP activities are scored and what counts as evidence in 2026.
Two components, two rates
PIP has a Daily Living component and a Mobility component, each paid at a Standard or Enhanced rate. You can qualify for one, both, or neither. Standard rates in 2025/26 are around £73/week (Daily Living) and £29/week (Mobility); Enhanced rates are £108/week and £77/week respectively.
Each component is scored separately against its own activities. You need 8 points in a component for the Standard rate and 12 points for the Enhanced rate. Points come from how your condition affects you most of the time (more than half the days in a 12-month period).
The 10 daily living activities
Preparing food, taking nutrition, managing therapy or monitoring a health condition, washing and bathing, managing toilet needs or incontinence, dressing and undressing, communicating verbally, reading and understanding signs/symbols/words, engaging with other people face-to-face, and making budgeting decisions.
Each activity has descriptors worth 0 to 12 points. Common high-scoring descriptors are: needs supervision or assistance to wash below the waist (4 points), cannot prepare and cook a simple meal (8 points), and needs prompting to engage with others due to overwhelming psychological distress (4 points).
The 2 mobility activities
Planning and following journeys covers cognitive and psychological barriers — getting lost, severe anxiety in unfamiliar places, needing someone with you to safely make a journey. Points range from 0 (can plan and follow a journey unaided) to 12 (cannot follow the route of a familiar journey without another person).
Moving around scores physical mobility. The key thresholds are: cannot walk more than 200m unaided (4 points), cannot walk more than 50m unaided (8 points), and cannot walk more than 20m (12 points = Enhanced rate Mobility, which also brings Motability scheme eligibility).
Evidence that actually moves the needle
Letters from your GP, consultant, occupational therapist, mental health team or social worker that describe specifically how your condition affects each PIP activity carry more weight than generic 'patient is unwell' notes. A short, dated letter explicitly listing 'cannot prepare a meal safely without supervision' beats a 10-page medical history.
Personal statements describing a typical bad day — naming the activity, the difficulty, the safety risk and how often it happens — are essential. Vague phrases like 'I struggle' get 0 points. Specific phrases like 'I drop pans because of tremor and have burnt my hand twice in the last six months' map to descriptors.
Mandatory Reconsideration and tribunal
If you're refused or scored too low, you have one month to ask for a Mandatory Reconsideration (MR). MRs overturn a minority of decisions but are required before you can appeal.
If the MR fails, you have one month to appeal to the First-tier Tribunal. Around 70% of PIP appeals that reach a hearing succeed, often with the same evidence the DWP refused. Free representation is available from Citizens Advice, Welfare Rights and disability charities — use it.
Frequently asked questions
Will my employer find out about my PIP?
No — PIP is not income-related and is not shared with employers, HMRC or anyone else without your consent.
Does PIP affect Universal Credit?
No — PIP is paid in full on top of UC, and being on PIP can unlock the Carer Element for someone who looks after you.
How long is a PIP award?
Awards range from short (1-2 years) to ongoing (10+ years), depending on whether your condition is expected to change. Longer awards still get reviewed.
Can I work and claim PIP?
Yes — PIP is not affected by work, hours or earnings. Many recipients work full-time.